Bootcamps & LAN tournaments
In this article Anne Fish and I share some tips and experiences from traveling with the pro Fortnite players Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish and Martin “MrSavage” Foss Andersen to international bootcamps and LAN tournaments.
Such travels give players a unique opportunity to find out about different countries and cultures, as well as to meet old friends IRL and make new friends from places that they might not ordinarily be exposed to.
The article originally appeared in the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage: The Unofficial Fortnite Esports Guide for Players and Parents, written by Anne Fish and me.
Martin MrSavage (left) and Benjy at DreamHack Winter, Jönköping, December 2019. Photo credit MrSavage.
Frankfurt bootcamp
Anne: ‘From my experience as a parent of a Fortnite professional, you find out very quickly that tournaments can be announced with little warning and subsequently you have to adjust your schedule to suit this. I remember having to adapt to various changes during the events surrounding the announcement of the Trios Season X FNCS Tournament in 2019.’
“Going to frankfurt to play on 0 ping in only 2 days let’s gooooooooooooo!”
Anne: ‘My son Benjy teamed up with Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson and Dmitri “Mitr0” Van de Vrie (abbreviated to MMB by fans of the trio) and he announced that they would be going to a bootcamp in Frankfurt, Germany, for a month. There was then a mad panic, liaising with everyone to get the logistics planned as well as organising who would be able to chaperone the players during the trip.’
Bootcamps or team houses are less common in Fortnite than for other esports games, such as CS:GO, Call of Duty and Overwatch, due to the fact they are specific four-or-five player teams. Fortnite players tend to primarily practise locally from their homes. When a bootcamp is organised it is a great opportunity for players to finally play together, perfect their strategies and generally bond with each other in real life.
Players may also change teammates depending on the different Fortnite seasons and quite often they will play for different organisations. For example, Benjy is with NRG, Mongraal is with FaZe and Mitr0 is with Team Liquid.
Kylix, Mongraal, Ares, rockit (Benjy’s editor) and Benjy at the Frankfurt bootcamp . Photo credit benjyfishy.
0 ping/Frankfurt, Martin. Photo credit MrSavage.
Anne: ‘Having arrived in Frankfurt everything initially went well. However while they were there, Epic made some controversial changes to the Turbo Build delay settings. Epic subsequently reverted the changes, but by that time Benjy and Kyle had already made the decision to cut their month-long bootcamp short and return home to the UK, while Dimitri stayed in Frankfurt.
We had less than 24 hours to arrange the return flights from Germany. When Benjy arrived back in the UK a couple of days later, he announced that he was going to a bootcamp in London. However after the arrangements were made and he arrived in London, he changed his mind and decided that he preferred to play from home and so after 48 hours he came back.’
Martin, who is Johnny’s son, also visited the Frankfurt bootcamp during the finals of the Trios FNCS.
Martin at Falcon's (an esports organisation) bootcamp in Lyon, France, August 2021. Photo credit MrSavage.
Mongraal - Mitr0 - benjyfishy - MrSavage
Anne: ‘The decision for Benjy to switch partners from Martin, to play trios with Mongraal and Mitr0 (MMB) and then duos with Kyle before the FNCS Season X in 2019, was something that Johnny and I were fully aware of. We were in communication about the situation and as parents, we both understood that we cannot and should not influence who our children play with, as it is a hundred per cent their decision. They are professional players who desire to remain at the top, so if they feel that a Fortnite season requires a different partnership, then they will discuss this between themselves.’
Johnny: ‘Martin had played with Benjy and Mongraal in a trio cash cup during the lead-up to the World Cup, but he was not available for all of the events due to various mandatory school trips. Subsequently, Benjy and Mongraal decided to play with Mitr0 in Martin’s absence.’
In the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, Benjy visited Fnatic’s headquarters in London during the qualifying weekends. It was here that Benjy got to meet Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson for the first time. In addition, he was able to spend time at the Cooler esports house, which also was in London. Photo credit Cooler Esports.
At the hotel lobby in New York City 2019. From left to right: Mitr0, Mongraal, Martin and Benjy. Photo credit MrSavage.
Anne: ‘Once the FNCS Trios was announced, Benjy and Kyle felt that they played better with Dmitri and so made the switch. Ultimately the MMB trio had great success that season and dominated the tournament during the heats. However, even though they went into the finals as one of the favourites, they experienced some bad luck and were overpowered by mechs (the controversial giant robots were removed from the game in the following season) and were denied the trophy.’
“Legit nothing but love bro. There is no beef between me and savage, we are still great friends we just feel like this is the better choice.”
“Obviously no beef between Mongraal, benjyfishy and I . Love both of you guys. Hope the new trio works out in ur favour.”
Johnny: ‘In the end, Martin’s trio with Dave “Rojo” Jong and Calum “Itemm” MacGillivray finished in 7th place and MMB finished in 10th place. They all remained friends. Anne and I also continued to stay in touch and it made no difference to our friendship and collaboration.’
In Chapter 2 Season 3 and 4, Martin and Benjy reunited and formed a new trio with Kevin "Letshe" Fedjuschkin for the FNCS Trios 2020.
Bring your own computer (BYOC) LAN events
DreamHack Winter, Jönköping, Sweden
Anne: ‘The DreamHack tournament in Jönköping (28th November–1st December 2019) was the first time we had attended a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN event. Being overseas brought another whole new dimension of challenges into the equation, in particular the question of how to hire the equipment. Both DreamHack events in Jönköping, Sweden and in Anaheim, USA involved getting equipment hired for the events.’
Johnny: ‘As we live in Norway, it was easier for us to drive to the event in Sweden with Martin’s computer. However, as Anne and Benjy flew in from the UK, they hired equipment from the event organisers.’
Anne: ‘One of the things we didn’t realise at DreamHack, was that you only get a basic chair to sit on during the event and for a professional player it is important to hire a proper gaming chair. We also didn’t know that when you are given a chair, it is quite often not pre-built and you have to assemble it yourself. Not an ideal situation, especially if you arrive late and the hall is in darkness.’
The key to hiring equipment at a BYOC event is preparation and making sure you book everything as early as possible due to limited availability. Not only do you have to think about sourcing the computer and monitor, but also chairs and the logistics of transporting the equipment from the collection point to your seat in the main hall.
1st day of DreamHack Winter, Jönköping, Sweden, 2019. Photo credit benjyfishy (obviously).
Martin watching Benjy play at DreamHack Jönköping. Photo credit benjyfishy.
Johnny: ‘If you are planning on taking part in the tournaments at the LAN events, preparation is key. When you book your ticket, consider selecting a hall that doesn’t have music playing from the main stage, as this can be a distraction. It is a good idea to take along in-ear headphones, along with a noise-cancelling over-ear set, to help with any excess noise. Space is limited at the events to just the players, so parents must base themselves outside of the main player areas.’
Anne: ‘Once you have managed to coordinate and set up everything at the event, LANs are an invaluable opportunity for the players and parents to socialise and hang out together. Both Benjy and Martin had an amazing time in Sweden and really enjoyed the experience.’
“The last couple days have been some of the best days of my life. So many friends that I got to meet again, got to compete, placed decent while having a lot of fun. Love all of you guys for making this possible for me.”
Top tips for BYOC LAN events
Book early as spaces are limited.
If you need to hire equipment do this asap, as supplies are limited.
Check if you need to hire a gaming chair.
Book accommodation early, as hotels get booked out.
Research a suitable hall at the venue to sit in. Consider coordinating seating with your friends.
Bring with you LAN cables, travel adapter extension leads and hand warmers, as the halls can be cold.
Bring a flashlight, as the light generated by phones is not strong enough.
Travelling
Players often look forward to the travelling element of international tournaments, as they can meet up with their friends from their geographic Fortnite region but also from other international regions as well.
BYOC events like DreamHack are much more relaxed than larger official LAN tournaments and players are able to interact with each other during the matches. However, this is not the case in the formal setting of larger tournaments where the players are on a stage.
“Travelling the world to play a game that I love is the coolest thing, I love it.”
Australian AO Summer Smash
Anne: ‘In early February 2020, Benjy was invited to the Australian Open (AO) Summer Smash, held at Melbourne Park. Even though Benjy usually really enjoys the travel aspect of LAN events, this time he was concerned about the long distance and the flight duration of over twenty hours. It took him a really long time to decide whether he actually wanted to go. In the end, he reached out to his fans on Twitter and asked them whether they thought he should travel. The fans responded with a resounding yes.’
The stage at the Australian Open (AO) Summer Smash 2020. Benjy participated in the Charity Pro-Am Trio event and the solo event. Photo credit Tennis Australia.
Anne: ‘Benjy was really pleased he had set aside his concerns and decided to travel, as the Summer Smash turned out to be one of his favourite events. On arrival, we met the event organisers at the airport and they took us to our hotel. The following day, we got to see the venue for the first time and Benjy took part in a press conference with a few other players.’
At the Australian Open (AO) Summer Smash. From left to right: Nyhrox, Airwakes, Ceice, Replays, Jaomock, Benjy, Elevate. Photo credit Tennis Australia.
Anne: ‘The event was held over two days. The first day was the Charity Pro-Am Trio event, where Benjy teamed up with the former New Zealand professional racing car driver Richie Stanaway and Australian content creator Aliythia. Benjy managed to teach his teammates how to coordinate a grenade shot, to wipe out the opposing team. Despite an excellent performance, the team narrowly missed out on victory in the event, ending up in second place.
The second day was the solo event whereBenjy finished 13th.’
DreamHack Anaheim
Johnny: ‘We arrived in Los Angeles a few days early before the DreamHack BYOC Anaheim event, which took place over three days, 21st–23rd February 2020. Martin was about to sign with 100 Thieves and he was able to spend some time at their Cash App Compound before the tournament and they were able to organise all kits for their players.
About 1200 players participated in the event, with 400 making it to the semi-finals and 100 to the finals of the competition. Since this was a LAN festival with players and spectators passing freely by the players’ seats, we wanted to make sure that nobody incidentally bumped into Martin. Therefore, Martin’s manager Peter sat close to him during all stages and I sat with him during the finals.’
Martin raising the throphy after winning DreamHack Anaheim. Photo credit 100 Thieves.
Johnny: ‘Martin finished in first place for the overall tournament which was a very special moment for him. In the final moments leading up to Martin’s Victory Royale in the last game, there was a battle between Benjy and Martin, unfortunately resulting in Martin taking out Benjy. The 100 Thieves film crew did an amazing job capturing the whole drama – you will find it on their YouTube channel.’
“You definitely feel worse for people when you eliminate them in a bigger event. When I see that it pops up with my friend’s name, ahhh, why couldn’t it have been someone else, right?!? Because obviously I don’t want them to do bad.”
Anne: ‘Benjy came first in the semi-finals, but sadly experienced a loading bug during the finals so he missed a whole game. He managed to finish in 11th place, which was a huge achievement. Hopefully it is Benjy’s time at the next tournament!’
Johnny: ‘In retrospect, seeing Martin having fun and practising with his friends, in a positive and creative atmosphere for a whole week, was probably a key ingredient to his first place achievement. As a father it was heart-warming for me to see my son so happy–there is simply nothing more to ask for.’
The 100 Thieves team at DreamHack Anaheim 2020. From left to right (back): Brett “Grandmateets” Squires, Hayden "Elevate" Krueger, Martin, Johnny, Peter. From left to right (front): Andrew Vong, Anna Molly, Celina Wang, Brendan "Falconer" Falconer, Ryan Martineau. Photo credit 100 Thieves.
LAN tournaments - Top tips for parents
In the days before a big tournament, offer extra support to your child by facilitating all practicalities.
Don’t push your child or project any of your expectations on them, as they know what is at stake.
Try to act normal and be there for them. Give them space if they need it.
Book a decent hotel close to the event for convenience. Don’t waste energy on unnecessary travel.
Research possible gaming centres that your child can practise in during lead-up to the event.
Carry peripherals in hand luggage, in case the suitcase gets lost and you can’t get replacements.
LAN tournaments - Top tips for players
Arrive early. If you have travelled across time zones you will need a few days to recover.
Don’t practise 24/7. Take breaks and do relaxing activities that clear your head.
Meet friends, but don’t overdo it. Don’t forget to conserve your energy.
Surround yourself with positive people if you can.
Try to rest and get enough sleep. Eat and drink healthily and try to plan your meals.
Listen and abide by the rules.
Confirm what you are allowed to take on the main stage.
TwitchCon San Diego
Twitch is a live streaming platform owned by Amazon. In 2019, Twitch hosted a convention in both Europe and the USA, as a way of bringing the community together: to meet streamers, play games and watch esports, as well as socialise with friends. In September 2019, TwitchCon was held at the San Diego Convention Center.
Both Benjy and Martin managed to secure an invite to take part in the Twitch Rivals Fortnite Showdown, which was a trios event where 160 streamers came together to compete for a $400k prize pool.
Anne: ‘Benjy was in the middle of filming “Stories from the Battle Bus” (a post-World Cup 2019 follow-up video) for Epic Games, so the film crew joined us out in San Diego to continue filming and were able to meet us at Twitch Rivals. Martin was also filming a video log (vlog) of the event.’
Twitch Rivals
Johnny: ‘There were six matches in the Grand Finals, but games 2 and 3 stood out as especially memorable matches. In game 2, Martin’s team came out with the Victory Royale.’
Anne: ‘In game 3, Benjy was battling it out in a 1v1 with FaZe Danny “Dubs” Walsh, however he sadly just missed out on the victory. Both matches were very exciting and had our hearts racing.’
In the end, Martin’s team placed 3rd while Benjy’s placed 6th.
Martin with his 3rd place medal. Photo credit Aaron Mendez Films.
“I didn’t perform as well as I wanted at World Cup but the fact that I played good at a LAN… I’m so happy, I’m so happy.”
Johnny's view from his seat at the Twitch Rivals stadium. Photo credit Aaron Mendez Films. Embedded photo shows Martin trying to teach Benjy some Norwegian! Photo credit MrSavage.
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Interested in learning more about MrSavage but also his duo partner benjyfishy and how they built their career? Check out the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage with a wealth of useful information both for players and parents alike.
